Help Surfrider Foundation Collect Important Data on Beach Goers, Divers, Kayakers, and More!

Photo Credit: Shark River Cleanup Coalition

Your help is needed to ensure that your favorite coastal recreational areas are considered in coastal and ocean planning activities coming to the Mid-Atlantic. The Surfrider Foundation launched an online survey in July 2013 that is capturing spatial and economic data on coastal and ocean recreational use in the states of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.

Surfrider is working in partnership with Ecotrust, Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute, and The Nature Conservancy, and in close coordination with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) and the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC), to survey recreational uses such as beach goers, swimmers, beach wildlife viewers, surfers, kayakers, windsurfers, and divers.

“Knowing what’s important to the recreation sector will help us make better ocean planning decisions and ensure that we maximize both sustainable economic activity and ocean health,” said Laura McKay, Director of the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program and MARCO Management Board member.

Regional ocean planning, a process which has just begun in the Mid-Atlantic, will be a chance for all user groups to contribute to a vision of how our coastal and ocean resources should be managed. The data from this survey will be included in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal, an online spatial data depository created by MARCO and used for regional ocean planning.

MARCO is an arrangement by the Governors of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia to improve the health of Mid-Atlantic ocean and coastal resources, and ensure that they continue to contribute to the economic vitality of coastal communities.

The survey will be online until the end of December 2013. To participate visit http://www.surfrider.org/mid-atlantic-recreation and enter your email address. The survey is not covering recreational fishing or boating as other studies are covering those uses. For more information please visit our regional website.

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves and beaches for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education.

New Mapping Tool Released for Ocean Planning in the Mid-Atlantic

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) recently released a new Ocean Data Portal that is in development.  This data portal includes information on ocean life, human uses of the ocean, sea floor topography, habitat, and sediments, as well as ocean regulations.  The Mid-Atlantic Ocean Region includes coastal and offshore waters from Virginia to New York.  The data and mapping portal will serve as a resource for ocean planning efforts in the region.  The mapping capabilities make it easier to visualize and understand multiple layers of information together.  If you have data or information, high priority data needs have been identified here.  If you use the ocean or have an interest in how the ocean may be used in the future - check it out and provide your thoughts and insights by clicking on feedback! (Note: the Proposed Atlantic Wind Connection is shown under renewable energy. This potential transmission line will also transmit conventional, dirty fossil fuel energy. See prior blog on this project which we've termed the Atlantic Coal Connection.)